Benue trapped in endless crisis as suspected herdsmen target more villages

In the last three months, over 500 people have been killed by suspected herdsmen in Benue state in an endless crisis that has displaced people from over 200 villages in Nigeria’s food basket.

Villages in Otukpo, Apa and Agatu LGAs are bearing the brunt, with reports of marauders butchering several locals, leaving many homes completely burnt down and numerous residents still missing.

The perpetrators, however, remain elusive, with no one claiming responsibility for the heinous attacks, though locals point fingers at ‘Fulani herdsmen.’

Agatu, which enjoyed relative peace in recent years, has once again been visited with bloodbath, extending to neighbouring communities and local government areas like Apa and Otukpo.

The latest wave of violence that ravaged Agatu, left communities like Ogwumogbo, Ikpele, Ejima, Okokolo, Olegomakwu, Olegonyilo, Nahem, Ocholonya, Abugbe, Ugboju, Odugbeho and Olegobidu decimated, with numerous lives lost.

What started as a mere flicker of unrest in Agatu has now erupted into a full-blown war, spreading to villages like Umogidi and Entekpa areas of Adoka in Otukpo.

A local source revealed that over 700 armed men have surrounded Otukpo, Apa and Agatu villages with no security personnel in sight to challenge them at the moment.

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Despite the valiant efforts of Idoma youths from Ohimini who volunteered to defend their ancestral homes, they are faced with formidable adversaries armed with highly sophisticated weapons like MG3, Heckler & Koch G3, AK47 and other dangerous arms.

Villagers have also continued to bemoan the scarcity of security personnel in the affected areas.

A local vigilante, who refused to be named, recounted a recent encounter with security personnel, who rather than offering protection, warned against any retaliatory actions.

He told our reporter, “We, the youths from Ohimini and Ugboju, came here to help our brothers and sisters, but things turned out really tough. The security people who were supposed to protect us didn’t do a good job.

According to him, the attackers seem to be on a mission to erase the Idoma community from the map of Nigeria.

“We’re about 50 youths from the neighbouring communities, and when we arrived here, the situation was way beyond our expectations. Facing these people with our Dane guns is a suicide mission.

The community volunteer guards, established in August 2022 under the leadership of former governor Samuel Ortom to enhance community security, find themselves grappling with helplessness in the face of the escalating war.

A member of the guard, who expressed dissatisfaction, pointed out that the current government is not giving them the necessary support and attention they need.

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According to the guard member, Governor Hyacinth Alia should set aside politics and come to the rescue of his people.

He pleaded, “This is not the time for politics. The governor is not really giving us the attention and the necessary support. We expected him to do more because this fight is beyond the police or army alone.

He mentioned the Thursday, January 18, 2024 unprovoked and ruthless attack on Okokolo, Abuge and Ocholonya communities of Agatu Local Government Area, which left in its wake loss of many lives and wanton destruction of several means of livelihood worth hundreds of millions of naira.

Meanwhile, the Idoma Association USA, a socio-cultural organization, has strongly criticized both the state and the federal governments for standing by idly as Idoma land faces turmoil.

He said, “It is unacceptable that our people are left defenseless, homes destroyed, and farm produce decimated.